Seniors with impaired vision may benefit from new kiosk

Seniors who have impaired vision could still take advantage of the information superhighway, based on the results of a test of new technology at a retirement living community in Virginia.

By modifying an mp3 player into a sort of access card, two young inventors say they have created a system that will allow seniors to

download various online content such as news, entertainment or music, according to a Nashua Telegraph report.

Charles De Vilmorin and Herve Roussel have attempted to make the system as senior-friendly as possible, including modifying the screen to have better contrast for low-vision users, and a change in vocabulary that makes it more accessible to older populations, they told the news provider.

Although a recent Harris Poll found that 16 percent of those aged 65 and up are using online resources, several initiatives have begun to help bring that more in line with the national average of 77 percent.

One project is SeniorNet, which has 130 chapters nationwide and whose top local group, in Suffolk, Virginia, has helped bring 5,000 seniors online since it began 10 years ago.